Camino Project
Cindy Ingram
Farmington Valley Arts Center
Cindy Ingram
Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Cindy Ingram came to Connecticut, fell in love, and stayed. As Director of the 42-year-old Farmington Valley Arts Center in Avon, she oversees their programs and facilities which include a fine art gallery, artist studios and art classes.
Farmington Valley Arts Center
Farmington Valley Arts Center
With her husband John, Cindy intends to traverse the 600 mile, 1000-year-old Camino De Santiago pilgrimage walk in Spain, which extends from France, across Spain, and to the sea. Known as the "Appalachian Trail of Spain", she and John plan to cover about 15 miles per day for 42 straight days. While the Appalachian trail is 2180 miles long, and her husband John has completed it, the Camino de Santiago is 600 miles in length and crosses the Pyrenees. They plan to walk it between August through October of this year and are simultaneously using the experience as a fundraiser for the Farmington Valley Arts Center (FVAC).
A participant in the Camino Project, Cindy explained the tripartite nature of her participation in the project, and the religious significance of the Camino de Santiago to Catholics and other faithful. Her participation includes the walk along the ancient trail itself, as a pilgrimage to the final resting place of the Apostle, St. James and of course raising funds to support the FVAC. She and John will stay in alburgues, a sort of hostel with dormitory-style accomodations. There is a network of albergues along the Camino de Santiago, and they are run by ‘hospitaleros’
Cindy sought this opportunity out to seek what she described as an "epic life-changing accomplishment". For many Catholics, tracing the path of St. James and visiting his resting place in Compostela is reason enough to make the journey, however, for those bearing some special burden of life, the trek offers the opportunity for unburdening oneself and a new outlook.
Resting place of St. James, Copostela, Spain
Particularly, the Cruz de Ferro, which is a very special place along the Camino de Santiago. For 1000 years pilgrims carry a small stone from home with them to this place, and deposit it there in a symbolic gesture of unburdening. The Cruz de Ferro consists of a wooden pole about five feet high surmounted by an iron cross, a replica of the original which is preserved in the Museo de los Caminos in Astorga. At its base, a mound has been forming over the years from stones deposited by pilgrims. A legend says that when the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was being built, pilgrims were asked to contribute by bringing a stone. The tradition now is to throw a stone, brought from the place of origin of the pilgrim, with his or her back to the cross to symbolize their journey.
Cruz de Ferro
Ten thousand people make the trek each year, bringing a stone to drop at the cross at Cruz de Ferro, and taking with them the sense of being ready to move on with their lives. For Cindy, a survivor of a violent sexual assault and stabbing, many years of her life have been spent dealing with and carrying that pain and burden. She is ready now to talk openly about her experience and the stone she will carry symbolizes her identity of victim hood. She feels that in today's "me too" climate, the time has come to perhaps unburden herself and help others do likewise. She will be making a documentary about her journey and simultaneously, she will communicate with artists online who will be sending stones along with her to aid in their unburdening. Cindy will carry this bag of stones with her from start to Cruz de Ferro on behalf of herself and nearly 50 artists from across the US and Canada who also have burdens to bear. Among the stones she'll carry, will also be one from a group of 6 adults with intellectual disabilities. "The story", says Cindy, is "about how we all have burdens."
Robert Abbott, a local media personality will assist Cindy in creating a 35-minute documentary about her experience. The participating artists will also keep journals and film themselves at home or studio doing their art and talking about what their burdens are and their stones symbolize. These stories will be woven in along with Cindy's to complete the film. All art created by participating artists during the trek will be included at an art show at FVAC upon their return. The hike, the movie and the art show will all benefit FVAC, with Cindy and John covering all their own expenses for the trip.
She adds: "Art is healing for individuals and families" and the proceeds from this trip and all its associated elements will be used to fund a scholarship program at FVAC. Individuals can also pledge per mile to support these scholarships which will fund art classes for those who might benefit from them. This will include entire families that "have their own unique burdens."
